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Celebrity Summit's Bermuda in a Spa Concierge Cabin

Sail Date:
June 2013

Destination:
Bermuda

Embarkation:
Other

We chose this cruise for several reason: we'd have 3 days anchored in Bermuda; departing from New Jersey was convenient after we visited friends in D.C., and we've had only good experiences with Celebrity. We always book balcony cabins, and this time we upgraded to a Spa Concierge Cabin. The Spa Cabins are well-located for the spa and fitness center, but also the hydrotherapy pool and adult sanctuary area. Your spa cabin entitles you to unlimited use of the Persian Garden, which has heated loungers and nice showers. We not big spa users, but we'd book one of these cabins again just for the wonderful, roomy showers (they have multiple jets, as well as a rain shower head.) The toiletries are also upgraded, the robes are plush terrycloth, and you receive a gift package of lip balm, facial spray, and 2 pairs of spa/loofah slippers packaged in a net bag. You also receive a bottle of sparkling wine, as well as fresh fruit, and fresh flowers (as you do in the standard Concierge cabins.) You More
also receive 2 free bottles of water each day.

Along with your cabin amenities, you have exclusive access to Blu, a private restaurant. It's a relaxing oasis with "lighter" versions of the main dining rooms foods. There are many smallish tables, so it's lovely for conversation, and the service was fine. We did eat in the main dining room most nights though. as the food choices were more extensive and we enjoy sharing large tables and meeting new people. Breakfast in Blu is relaxing though and there are plenty of food choices. Don't be scared about the "lighter" labels for the food: you can still get a good steak or pastries or similar indulgences. Some of our fellow passengers loved Blu and ate there at every opportunity. We didn't visit the specialty restaurants that charge a fee, probably because we live in a big city, so they're not that special to us. We enjoyed the regular dining room and the buffet and had plenty of variety. We really enjoyed the fresh sushi that pops up on the buffet in the evening; we would sometimes go enjoy sushi as our appetizer before we ate dinner in the dining room. We also took advantage of the Premier Beverage program, which charges a flat fee for unlimited beverages (including wines up to $12 a glass.) You prepay gratuities on this program, but there are never any slips to sign or worry about, and it covers all beverages, including bottled water, specialty coffees, juices, etc.

There are plenty of activities if you like to keep busy, but between our balcony and the abundance of pool lounges (we were pleased they seem to do a more conscientious job of clearing off unused "saved" chairs at reasonable intervals than some ships) we did a lot of relaxing. The stage shows (especially the challenging and very well-done dancing) were amazing (and we've seen many staged shows over the years.) We played in the casino on sea days, but were surprised to find exclusively penny and nickel slot machines. You do use your room key as a "players card," but you have to cash out after every session; we cruised a Holland America ship where they just ran an ongoing tab for you, using your room key; you could cash out whenever you wished or just wait until the last night; we liked that.

The ship anchors at King's Wharf at the tip of Bermuda, so there's no tendering and King's Wharf has pubs and restaurants and shopping, as well as some abandoned but interesting architecture. You anchor right near the ferries to Hamilton and St. Georges, and there are island buses, as well as a King's Wharf shuttle, so getting around the dock area and the whole of Bermuda is easy. Because you're there 3 days, there is a lot of opportunity to book your own excursions and adventures, but we did book trips through the cruise line (and we loved the ability to book excursions and dining through the television in our cabin!) We did a mini-bus tour of the whole island, and it was great. Only about 12 people and a charming and witty guide who kept us very entertained in the Bermudan traffic. We did see fellow passengers book scooters (you can't rent a car there,) but the locals do caution against that, with the tricky roads and traffic concerns (reportedly, there had already been multiple scooter fatalities and accidents this year.) We did a catamaran cruise through the "Devil's Isles" and had some snorkeling and beach time. We did a thorough job touring King's Wharf, including the glass blowing and rum cake businesses. We enjoyed shopping in the Clock Tower Mall and refreshing ourselves in the Frog and Onion Pub (with local microbrews.) There is a beach right on the wharf, but, reportedly, it's not nearly as nice as many others you can reach by bus. We skipped "The Dolphin Experience," but would have enjoyed that if we were still traveling with children. All in all, we kept busy, but built in plenty of relaxation! Less

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Cabin review: Celebrity Summit

Well-located balcony spa concierge cabin. Great access to elevators, pool, and dining. Under the pool deck, so sometimes we could hear chairs move, but it was a minor consideration weighed against a convenient location and wide-open view.